Apedwa, May 06, GNA- Five persons died on the spot in two separate accidents that occurred within 24 hours at Akyem Nsutam and Apedwa, all on the Accra-Kumasi highway.

The first accident, which involved a sprinter bus GS225-09, was traveling from Accra-Kumasi when it collided head on with a Fiat Tipper truck WR743Q at a Custom, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) barrier on Tuesday midday.

As a result, three male passengers died on the spot whiles 17 others including both drivers and their mates who were seriously injured were rushed to the Kyebi Government Hospital. According to Police superintendent James Sarfo Peprah, the Eastern Regional MTTU Commander, there was no CEPS official directing the vehicles at the time of the accident.

He said the officials at post refused to allow the police to convey the injured in their vehicle until the East Akyem Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) came to intervene. The Apedwa one occurred around 05.30 hours on Wednesday, when a Rano cargo truck with registration number GW3234Z carrying lumber from Nkawkaw-Suhum ran over two female pedestrians after attempting to escape arrest. The MTTU Commander said, a task force made up of military/police and forestry officials had fired a warning shot to scare the driver to stop but in the process he lost control of the steering wheel. He said Police were investigating whiles the dead bodies had been deposited at Kyebi Government hospital.